Drinking age limit

[Universe Prince]

Over at Reason Online (click this here link to see the article) Radley Balko has made a case for repealing the federal law that forcibly set the legal drinking age limit to 21. What do you think? Should it be repealed? Can America go back to 18 being the standard limit? Should we have a drinking age limit at all?

[BT]

18 is old enough.

[kimba1]

I think it be higher or atleast not allowed in college
I`ve been to chico
it`s bad
I would not be surprise if girls gone wild did a vid at that town.
I heard 3% of miller`s income is from there

[BT]

If you are considered mature enough to vote and /or die for your country, you should be legallly allowed to drink a beer.

[modestyblase]

I think 18 is respectable for all legal purposes. Most kids are drinking at that age anyway.
Age limits exist currently for the same reasons speed limits and such do: we provide the limits because otherwise you lack the skill &/or discipline to avoid killing yourself. So, certainly, with the lowered age should come social measures to change behaviours of those willing to drink. As well, expect deaths-and those will fuel the social change.
I am certainly unafraid to drink, and to excess sometimes. If I know I will be drinking, I don't drive to the club or bar or restaurant(ha, or speakeasy). I take a taxi. That way I cannot make a bad, drunken decision to get behind the wheel.
Designated drivers are another option that are not, unfortunately, utilized enough.

[kimba1]

I thought so too till I`ve seen the damage drinking can cause .
I`m not for banning drinking,but damn it something gotta be done.
it should never thought of as harmless.
and I still think it`s much worst than smoking.
I`ve seen 3 car crashes on my block and strangely all 3 are drunk driving.
I`ve actually seen a car fall on a water hydrant with water shooting out of the window.
it just like the movies.
at least I haven`t seen gory stuff
don`t know if thats luck or not common with drunk driving.

[Universe Prince]

I think it be higher or atleast not allowed in college

I disagree. I think part of the problem stems from the drinking age being turned into a rite of passage. We've turned drinking into a age related taboo, like knowing about sex, only more strict. We made it off limits while promoting it in our culture as something fun and desirable. And then we apparently expect this is somehow going to make people more responsible adults. I don't know why we expect that, because the results certainly don't support it.

[BT]

Kimba

You said yourself that Chico is considered a party school yet the majority of partiers are underage drinkers. So they are getting the alcohol regardless of the law. Perhaps the answer is not age limits but a better focus on education. Put a surcharge on alcohol purchases to fund these courses and make them mandatory for offenders.

And you might as well do the same with tobacco. Make it prepaid cancer and heart insurance, instead of using it to fund state govt which the settlement was used for.

[kimba1]

actually I like that idea
a tax that`s related to the product
unlike the gas tax
that`s just money for nothing.